Israeli ministers pass bill jailing stone throwers for 20 years

A Palestinian protester uses a sling to throw stones towards Israeli border policemen during clashes following a protest against the near-by Jewish settlement of Qadomem, in the West Bank village of Kofr Qadom near Nablus (Reuters / Abed Omar Qusini) / Reuters

Government ministers in Israel have voted to increase penalties ten-fold on people convicted of throwing stones at vehicles from two to 20 years, in a move designed to deal with a wave of violence that has hit some of Jerusalem’s Arab districts.

If Israeli courts can prove that someone threw a stone with the
intent of causing serious bodily harm, they may be able to impose
a jail sentence of 20 years.

The law would also allow the conviction of people who hurl rocks
at police cars or police officers with the aim of hindering them
from carrying out their duty.

If intent to cause harm can’t be proven, then the amendments
still allow for a hefty 10-year sentence if the safety of a
person or a vehicle is endangered. At the moment, such crimes
have a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Although the changes have been given the green light by the
Israeli cabinet, they must still be approved by the Knesset and
the ministerial Committee for Legislation.

The proposed legislation change stems from the recommendation of
a committee headed by Cabinet Secretary Avichai Mandelblit, which
was tasked with dealing with the deteriorating security situation
in East Jerusalem.

There has been a sharp increase in violence in many Arab
neighborhoods in Jerusalem in recent weeks. On Sunday, there were
two incidents in East Jerusalem involving rock throwing. In one
incident, in Talpiot, two juveniles were arrested. A bus was
targeted in a separate incident on Suleiman Street.

A small improvised bomb was hurled at police officers in the
Shuafat area of East Jerusalem on Saturday. In the Old City and
Wadi Joz, fireworks were launched at policemen and a 13-year-old
Palestinian was arrested after attacking a Jewish man near
Damascus Gate.

"Israel is operating aggressively against terrorists, against
stone throwers, against hurlers of firebombs and firecrackers. We
will legislate more aggressive legislation to this regard, in
order to return quiet and security to every part of
Jerusalem," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as
quoted by Haaretz.